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How to re use a penknife/folding pliers? Answered

From the bottom of my toolbox I have dug out a pen knife I bought some time ago. Its a silverline micro multi tool. I never used it because although the pliers work very well the folding knives, bottle openers etc. aren't held in place by a spring or locking mechanism. Also the rotation is far too easy, and the rotation stop sometimes slips, rendering the knives, bottle openers and everything else effectively useless (i.e. very dangerous to use).

As a result I will remove the assorted knives, bottle openers and other widgets, leaving an interesting space to be filled by something else. That something else cannot really be another set of metal widgets (like knives, bottle openers, etc) because they would have the same basic problems, so my question is what would you use the two spaces for?

Approximate dimensions; 9x8x55 mm internal dimensions, (one in each handle) box shaped enclosure open on one side. Openings are on opposing sides of the folding handles (see the google images link to see what I mean). Two holes near the ends of the handles which currently hold the widget axle.

One idea to get the ball rolling, a mini multimeter in one side, with probes in the other. I'm looking for something practical or useful, something that could be still considered a tool of some kind, but feel free to throw in any idea's you have anyhow.

4 Replies

You could pack the hollow area with magnets rendering the entire tool magnetic for those hard to reach screws and what not. Maybe on one side you could find a way to work in some kind of LED light soo you can see those screws in those hard to reach places. Just a few ideas.

Yeah, good stuff! Your idea could also be used as a screw driver magnetiser/de-magnetiser as well. Or instead of magnets there could be an extendible magnetic picker (those extendible aerials with a magnet on the end). There might just be room for both...

I have done a search but was a little disappointed, there have been a few good tutorials, such as replacing the tools with keys, cleaning/removing the tools, etc. But actual hacks of multi tools seem few and far between, so I was wondering what new ideas people can think of.